Bulldozers largely demolish controversial Goa beach shack, following CRZ violation

On a day packed with drama, the state administration on early Friday, began the demolition of the controversial Curlies beach shack at Anjuna beach for alleged coastal zone norm violations, hours after the National Green Tribunal rejected an appeal by the promoters of the shack to relook the case.

Even as the promoters approached the Supreme Court and obtained a stay on the demolition, the demolition process halted for some hours and resumed when it was revealed that the stay in the apex Court order was only related to one part of the shack identified in one of the three land survey numbers, which make up for the shack property.

"We had started demolition in the morning. Large portion has been demolished as per information. We will not tolerate drugs and illegalities. We will go in detail in such cases and illegalities will be demolished. SC has given stay to survey 42/10, hence it was demarcated and the rest structure was demolished," Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told reporters on Friday evening.

The demolition follows a petition filed by a local social workers with the NGT which alleged that coastal regulation norms were violated by the shack, which is located on Anjuna beach and is a popular EDM party venue.

Police investigation in the murder of Bharatiya Janata party leader from Haryana Sonali Phogat last month had also revealed that she had been administered chemical drugs at the beach shack shortly before she died, reportedly of a heart attack.

The demolition of the Curlies beach shack, a popular, but controversial beach shack located on Anjuna, began at 7 am on Friday, hours after the latest NGT order.

“The Supreme Court has given a stay. The Court has told that commercial activities should not take place till the hearing. Why such a hurry (to demolish), authorities didn’t even give us 24 hours,” Gajanan Korgaonkar, a lawyer who represents one of the co-owners of the beach shack Linette Nunes, told reporters at the demolition site.

“They (Authorities) have come to demolish it within 24 hours, that too at 7 am in the morning. I have never heard of such (hurry). I had informed the District Collector that we have challenged the NGT order in the Supreme Court,” Korgaonkar further said.

Two bulldozers as well as a large posse of police personnel were present at the site during the demolition.

The demolition was briefly halted after the lawyer informed the demolition squad that the Supreme Court had stayed the demolition proceedings, but the demolition resumed after officials learnt that the stay order was limited to survey number 42/10 and not survey numbers 45/19 and 45/41, which also incorporates the beach shack property.

By evening, a large portion of the shack was demolished, even as the police claimed that they were only assisting the state administration in the demolition process.
"We had received an order from the government that the property over here has to be demolished and police support was sought for it," North Goa district SP Shobhit Saxena told reporters.